Structural decking is used in commercial or industrial construction (and in some cases residential construction), for example, as a component of poured concrete floors or as structural roofing (e.g., for commercial buildings, industrial buildings, institutional buildings, or the like). The structural decking may be typically manufactured from steel sheets. To create the structural strength and the stiffness of the steel sheets, decking panels with longitudinal profiles are formed from the steel sheets via roll forming, break forming, bending, stamping, or other like processes. The decking panels are secured to each other in order to form the structural steel decking system when installed.
The panels are also connected to the other load resisting structural members of a building, such as beams, joists, walls, or the like. When the panels are connected to each other in a secure manner, the assembled structural steel decking system provides considerable diaphragm (or membrane) strength, which is used to transfer vertical and lateral loads to the vertical and lateral load carrying components of the building. In geographical regions that are prone to seismic activity (e.g., earthquakes) and/or high winds, the panels of structural steel decking are solidly connected to each other and to the other load resisting structural members of the building, so that the building is better able to withstand horizontal shear forces created by the seismic activity and/or high winds. The panels are connected to reduce, or eliminate excessive, vertical separation or lateral movement between adjacent structural steel decking panels. To this end, the seam between adjacent panels of structural steel decking is joined in such a way as to create lateral resistance in a direction parallel to the lengthwise extending axis of the seam to thereby carry loads (e.g., resist forces) and prevent displacement between the deck panels. In addition, the connection of the panels at the seam also creates vertical resistance in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise extending axis of the seam in order to carry loads (e.g., construction loads) and to maintain the structural integrity of the diaphragm strength of the system.